Welding ring



Aug. 14, 1945.- c. F. ROBlE 2,382,098 7 WELDING RING- Filed March 31,1943 INVENITORF CHARLES E ROB/E.

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A TTORNE Y.

Patented Aug. 14,1945

WELDING RING Charles F. Rohie, Alameda, CaliL, assignor toHawkins-Hawkins 00., San Francisco, Calif., a partnership consisting ofJohn H. Hawkins and Landona Hawkins Application March 31, 1943, SerialNo. 481,203

1 Claim.

This invention relates to welding rings for use in welding pipe, and toa method of manufacturing the same.

In uniting pipe sections by welding, it is common practice to insert ametal sleeve, having an external, centrally-disposed flange, into theends of two adjacent sections, with the pipe ends abutting against theperipheral central flange. The purpose of the flange sleeve is to bridgethe space between the adjacent ends of two pipes, with the flangepartially filling the intervening space and preventing any spelter orslag from the welding operation forming icicles in the pipe line andretarding fluid flow or from the slag drops and particles entering thepipe and subsequently interfering with the proper functioning of anyvalves in the line.

These sleeves are known .as welding rings. Heretofore, the-beaded ringshave been formed by rolling or by turning on a lathe. In the past,

the welding ring beads were not folded by means of stamping, and,therefore, prior rings developed strains in the ring metal which curledthe edges of the rin portions within the pipes inwardly away from theadjacent walls of the pipes when welding heat was applied thereto.

One of the important advantages of the present ring invention is thatwhen it is positioned in adjacent pipe ends and welding heat is appliedthereto, the ends of the ring portions within the pipes curl radiallyoutwardly against the inner peripheral surfaces thereof and adherethereagainst, due to the peculiar tension or strains in the ring metaldeveloped by the stamping process. The completed weld retains the ringsin such position and consequently the amount of projection of the ringinto the pipe interior is kept to a minimum.

The present invention comprehends a simpler, cheaper, quicker method offorming these rings by a novel stamping method, as will later bedescribed.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates a circular uncrimped band or sleeve of spring steelready for insertion into the press by which the finished ring is formed.

Fig. 2 shows the completed welding ring.

Fig. 3 is a section on line IH-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section of the dies, in open position, by whichthe ring is formed, with the uncrimped band in position on its mandrel.

Fig. 5 is a similar .view, with the dies closed, after the ring has beenformed.

ring within two adjacent pipe ends, before welding.

Referring to the finished welding ring, as shown in Fig. 2, it comprisesthree coaxial sections 0-, a a the central section a constituting anexternal bead joining the adjacent cylindrical sections a' and a whichlatter are adapted'to telescope with the adjacent ends of two pipesections b and b as shown in Fig. 6. The invention pertains especiallyto a novel method of forming the bead a.

In practice, a band or sleeve of steel strip of suitable length, widthand gauge is formed as in Fig. 1 into a split ring A, with the endsseparated sufliciently to give the desired spring effect. The gauge andwidth of the band vary with the size or diameter of the finished ring.

Assuming a ring of four-inch diameter, it is customary to employ a stripof sixteen-gauge steel of approximately one inch in width and form itinto a ring band and with a continuous circumferential outward bulge 2,so that in cross section at any point the band is slightly convexedoutwardly. This gives the ring a set to its spring action so that itstendency to spring open or straighten is substantially lessened or over-I ter are not shown. Die 3 has a turned down portion 5 at its upperendof a diameter and length corresponding to the inside diameter andwidth of the ring A, which latter is adaptedto ary base member it which,in turn, has an inwardly projecting section II constituting a stop tothe upward movement 01' the shoulder I. Thus it is seen that the die 3comprises essen- 1 1? a stepped member with sections of successivelyvarying diameters 5, I and 8 operative in a suitable guide member l0.Die 3 cushions on an appropriate resilient support, indicated here Fig.6 shows the manner of use of a welding as a still spring II which abutsagainst the suit- 2 ably guided stem l3 of the die. The downwardmovement of the die 3 is limited by contact with the width of a sectiona or a or the finished ring 01' Fig. 2 or Fig. 6. e

The complementary or female die 4 has an annular cavity with an outerwall portionli of i the same diameter as the outside diameter of thering 7 band A when the latter is positioned on section I of die '3. Thedepth of the ring-wall I5 is delimited by a shoulder l6, which depth isequal to the width of a section a or a of the finished ring oi Fig. 2 orFig. 6; The cavity in die 4 has a reduced portion above the shoulder ii,th outer wall ll of which is of a diameter such as to provide-a slidingflt with the mandrel portion I of die 3 when the parts are moved intotelescoping relation. In operation, a ring-band A is first formed. Withthe dies 3 and 4 in open position in a suitable press the band isslipped over the mandrel portion 5 of the die 3 with the band resting onthe ledge 8 and with the upper edge of the band flush with the top ofthe die 3. The diemember 4 is then brought down over the mandrel andband until the shoulder ii of the wall ii of die 4 rests on top of theband. Until nowthe die 3 hasremained stationary against the resistanceoi the underneath cushion, represented by spring 12. With the parts inthis positiomthe upperportion of the band, corresponding to an arearepresented by a section a of the band (Fig. 2) is surrounded andsupported inside and out betweenthe upper part of mandrel 5 and theouter telescoping wall I 5 of die 4 so that the band can not buckle inmandrel land the adjacent wall m of section u.

Itis important toJnote that at no time does die aasaoes I l that portionof the band as compression continues. v

Then as die 4 continues its down stroke, it

' pushes die 3 and band A downward until the bottom end oi band A comesto a position coincident with the plane oi. the shoulder Ii. With thedies in this position the portion of the band a (Fig. 2) is snuglyembraced between the lower part of 4 contact the top of part ll formingpart of the lower die assembly. Intact, the descent of die 4-stops shortof the annulus I l by a distance sufllcient for, the central unsupportedpart of the band to expand and stretch and thus to form the fold whicheventually becomes the bead portion a of the ring f Figs. 2 and 6.

Having thus moved the dies to the position by which this bead is formed,the pressure is released to return the parts to normal open position andthe finished ring is removed in readiness for repetitive actions, therelease of the ring from die 4 being facilitated by a knockout plate I8.

I claim: I

An article of manufacture comprising a welding ring for aligning andcoupling adiacent pipeends, said welding ring comprising a, split ringthe ends of said weldingring expand outwardly when said strains arerelieved byheating during the operations! welding said .welding ring toadjacent pipe ends,

crime s. ROBIE.

